Dynamical regimes of two eccentric and mutually inclined giant planets

Abstract

We consider a basic planetary system composed by a Sun like star, a Jupiter-like planet an a Neptune-like planet in a wide range of orbital configurations not limited to the hierarchical case. We present atlases of resonances showing the domains of approx. 1300 mutual mean-motion resonances (MMRs) and their link to chaotic and regular dynamics. Following a semi-analytical method for the study of the secular dynamics we found two regimes for equilibrium configurations: one for low mutual inclinations were equilibrium is related to oscillations of the difference between the pericenter longitudes around 0 or 180 degrees, and another for high mutual inclinations where the equilibrium is given by defined values of the argument of the pericenters equal to integer multiples of 90 degrees. By numerical integration of the full equations of motion we calculate the fundamental frequencies of the systems in their diverse configurations and study their dependence with the orbital elements. According to the analysis of the fundamental frequencies we found two dynamical regimes depending on the initial mutual inclination and the limit between the two regimes occurs at some critical inclination 30 ic the dynamics is completely different with increasing changes in mutual inclination and emerging combinations of the fundamental frequencies and, depending on the case, dominated by the secular resonance or the vZLK mechanism.